Girls on the Run takes steps to build confidence

Her mouth often moved faster than her feet.

But, in so many ways, that was the point.

In Girls on the Run, running is just the teaching tool — the trick to get the girls engaged. The real goal is to help them deal with the challenges they face every day: peer pressure, bullying, low self-esteem. These girls learn to embrace who they are and define who they want to become.

And Stephanie Blumenthal has become every bit as amazing today as the young girl I met nearly a decade ago when we were paired as running buddies.

Back then, she was a fast-talking, freckle-faced fourth-grader with seemingly endless energy. We met at Percy Priest Elementary, and our goal through Girls on the Run was to prepare together to run a 3.1-mile race.

For many of the girls in the program, it would be the first 5K they had ever run. And when you haven't yet turned 10 years old, that is a pretty big deal.

Stephanie certainly thought so. And when we ran together I heard all about it — and about her brother and sister and her favorite class in school and her best friend and on and on. Her chatter made the miles easy and fun.

Just like Stephanie, Girls on the Run was young back then. The Middle Tennessee council is now one of hundreds across the country that collectively serve thousands of girls. But when I joined the Nashville board of directors as a founding member in 2007, we were a small group of local women who found fulfillment in running. We wanted to bring that joy and strength to girls who are often pressured to conform to beauty, health and social standards that are dangerous and hurtful.

After beginning with an inaugural class of 15 girls at Percy Priest Elementary, this year Girls on the Run of Middle Tennessee served nearly 500 girls in 20 schools. Next year, that number will grow to almost 700 girls — more than half of whom come from underprivileged communities where there is less access to programs that focus on healthy living and positive well-being.

Girls on the Run creatively combats all the negative issues elementary-  and middle school-age girls face. The girls meet after school a couple times a week where each day's practice is focused on a specific issue: gossip, self-image, healthy choices. They talk about these things on a level they can understand, and then they play games that get them up and moving and reinforce what they discussed.

Just imagine doing a relay race where you take notecards covered in negative thoughts and shove them in a box at the other end of a track before running back to give your teammate a high five. A pretty powerful exercise — even for an adult.

By far, the most personally rewarding part of Girls on the Run has been serving as "running buddy," an adult mentor who runs with and supports the girls as they train for their 5K. For the girls, this bond can offer the team-building and trust they need to cross the finish line, but for women such as myself who serve as running buddies, this relationship is an enlightening illustration of the importance of positive relationships.

Over the past eight years, I have mentored six girls in this program. With some, such as Stephanie, our interactions blossomed beyond the boundaries of the program. I have enjoyed brunch with Stephanie's family, and I even attended her bat mitzvah where a photo slideshow filled with pictures of her in Girls on the Run made me cry.

I watched her — and so many other girls in the program — discover self-confidence, inner beauty and strength. That resonates with me every time I slip on my own running shoes and use the miles to work through a problem. We all need that endurance to face life's challenges.

Reach Jessica Bliss at 615-259-8253 and on Twitter @jlbliss.

How to give

You can donate money to Girls on the Run of Middle Tennessee online at www.gotrmiddletn.org or by mailing donations to 1451 Elm Hill Pike, Suite 110, Nashville, TN, 37210. To find out more about how to volunteer, call 615-356-4829 or visit www.gotrmiddletn.org.

About Season to Give

Each Tuesday through Dec. 29, The Tennessean will highlight one local nonprofit organization doing good work in hopes of inspiring community support through giving of time and donations. It is part of our purpose to actively influence and impact a better quality of life in Middle Tennessee, as well as help support those in need this holiday season.